Brim stitcher



Oct. 8, 1968 E. w. GERwlG 3,404,645

BRIM STITCHER Filed oc'z. 22, 1965 INVENTOR. E424 W GERw/G ATT/ZA/EyUnited States Patent O `3,4o'4,645 f BRIM STITCHER 'Earl W. Gerwig,Westerville, Oho, assigilor to the United States ofgmerica asVrepresented by the Director, Defensel Supply. Agency Filed oct. 22,1965, ser. No. 502,755 7 Claims. (Cl. 112-2) This invention relates to asewing machine attachment which i especially adapted for stitching hatbrims. The

`attachment provides synchronization with, but is independent of, thespeed at which the sewing machine to which it is attached is stitching.

Prior art brim stitching attachments are rather complicated and requiremuch time and skill to install. Further, these older attachments cannotbe installed unless the sewing machine itself is substantially modified.The prior art equipment, even though incorporating some advancements,still requires the services of a s'killed operator. This invention,however, overcomes these difficulties.

The object of this invention is to provide an attachment which can beeasily installed to operate in conjunction with a wide variety ofconventional sewing machines to thereby extend the capabilities of thesesewing machines to include hat brim stitching.

" It is 'another object of this invention to provide an attachment foruse in conjunction with a conventional sewing machine which permitsselecting and controlling the width of spacing between adjacent rows ofstitching.

It is another object of this invention to provide an attachment for usein conjunction with a conventional sewing machine which permitscorrelating the width of spac- `ring between `adjacent rows of stitchingwith the speed of stitching of the sewing machine thus obtaininguniformly `spaced rows of stitching regardless of hat size whenstitching hat brims.

Another object is to provide an attachment which can `be easily`adjusted once installed, thereby reducing the time required to stitchhat brims.

, Another object is to provide means for holding the hat while beingsttched, thereby reducing the amount of handling required.

a, These and other objects of the present invention will become apparentfrom the following description taken in f conjunction'with the drawingsin which:

` FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device attached to a conventionalsewing machine;

lFIG. 2 is'a plan view of the novel brim stitching at- H tachment; 'FIG;3 is a' view taken on the line A--A of FIG. 2

showing the brim guide; and

FIG; 41is-a view taken on the line B-B of FIG. 2. The unitary brimstitching attachment according to ICC tween, and a rigid supportingstructure movable by the worm drive and carrying both roller 4 and guide5.

The unit shown in FIG. 2 is attached to any conventional sewing machineto obtain the arrangement of FIG. 1. The unit is mounted upon a vbaselplate 17 which is secured to the sewing machine table 15 in anyconvenient m'anner. The location of the unit with relation to the feeddog and presser foot of the sewing machine is important. With the base17 of the unit parallel to the sewing machine table, the brim stitcherunit is positioned so that the brim guide 5 just misses the front of thefeed dog and the guide extension 5a barely clears the right side of thepresser foot. The guide extension 5a extending rearwardly from thejunction of the legs of the brim guide will thus provide additionalsupport l-aterally adjacent the presser foot to the edge of a hat brimduring a stitching operation. The brim guide 5 can be adjusted relativeto the support member 10 by means of adjusting 'bolts 20. When the brimguide 5 is in correct position in relation to the feed dog and presserfoot of the sewing machine the sewing machine head can be tipped backwithout removing the brim stitcher from the sewing machine table. Avariable speed reducer 1 is coupled by a flexible coupling 3 to a leadscrew Z having uniform pitch and mounted upon a U-shaped lead screwsupport 14. A U-shaped yoke 13, which is essentially a travelling nut,is in threaded engagement with the lead screw 2. As the variable speedreducer 1 drives the lead screw 2, the nut -13 travels along the threadsof the lead screw. A drive arm 11 mounted upon the side of nut 13 isconnected to a support member 10. The adjustable feed roll 4 issupported on the arm 11 by an adjusting pin 7 held in a universal clamp8 and the brim guide 5 is mounted upon the support member 10 secured toarm 11. One portion of the hat brim is placed within the brim guide 5 asshown in FIGS. 2 and 3; another portion passes around the feed roller 4.

The hat brim feeds continuously through the horizontally disposed brimguide 5 and is guided thereinto as it passes around the surface portionof roller 4 which faces, and is freely exposed, toward the operator oraway from the guide 5. A conventional feed dog found on any sewingmachine, not shown, but located in close proximity below the sewingmachine needle and mounted upon the sewing table, causes the hat band tofeed about the roller 4. The axis of roller 4 is spaced from the brimguide 5 and is oriented as to generally converge with the path ofmovement of the guide in the direction of its progressive movement sothat the roller will urge the brim against the guide during suchmovement. As the hat brim feeds about roller 4, the tr-avel of the nut13 on lead screw 2 moves arm 11 attached to nut 13 laterally. Movementof arm 11 is transmitted by direct connection to the support member 10upon which the brim guide 5 is attached. As the hat brim is pulledaround the roller 4 and directly therefrom through the guide 5 to thepoint of stitching it is also moved in a direction transverse to thedirection of stitching by the sewing action, wh'ereby the sewing machinestitches a continuous spiral band upon the hat brim with the successiverows of stitching being uniformly spaced. The brim guide 5 controls thelinear distance the brim moves to the right under the influence ofroller 4 during one turn of the hat brim. i

The independently powered speed reducer unit 1 has an infinite number ofspeed adjustments ranging from zero to 10.r.p.m. which may be selectedby manipulation of control 18. Accordingly, extremely preciseadjustments can be made to assure for a desired spacing betweensuccessive rows of stitching that the rate of travel of .nut 13 has thenecessary relationship to the particular sewing machine speed selected,which relationship is dependent upo the size of hat. w g

Switch 28, carried by adjustable mounting 29, is electrically connectedwith both the sewing machine motor (not shown) and the variable speedreducer 1. As the lead screw draws the nut 13 from left to right, thedrive arm 11 trips the microswitch 28 when the nut reaches the limit ofits length of travel. The point at which tripping occurs can be variedby selectively positioning its adjustable mount 29. Accordingly, a widevariety of brim widths can be accommodated. Toggle switch 31 isconnected to the sewing machine motor (not shown) for activating anddeactivating this motor in conventional manner. Toggle switch 32 is forenergizing the speed reducer. The wiring is conventionally arranged suchthat the sewing machine motor is energized by closing switch 31 and thatthe speed reducer cannot r'un unless the sewing machine motor is turnedon. Switch 32 is used to turn on the speed reducer once the sewingmachine motor is energized.

A half nut toggle 12 when operated. causes nut 13 to engage lead screw 2for travel along the length of the lead screw.

The drive arm 11 is rigidly mounted along the side of nut 13 to impartthe travel rate of nut 13 to support mem- 'ber 10 and clamp 8. FIG. 4shows drive arm 11 fixedly connected to support member 10. The feed rolladjusting pin 7 is mounted within the universal clamp 8. Socket headscrew 19 adjusts the compression of the universal clamp. Feed roll 4 ismounted by passing the feed roll shaft 6 through the adjusting pin 7 asshown. Screw 19 passing through clamp 8 permits raising, lowering, orturning the adjusting shaft 7, to thereby place roll 4 in any desiredangular position relative to the brim guide and to the table of thesewing machine.

The brim guide is shaped with wide fiat upper and lower legs extendinghorizontally and parallel to the sewing machine table as in FIG. 3 toallow the hat brim to pass through freely yet make contact with asubstantial area of the brim to prevent any longitudinal slippage of thebrim as it is fed to the sewing machine.

As the hat brim moves under the influence of the sewing action, the brimguide 5 which is moved at a uniform rate by lead screw 2 allows the hatbrim to move so that uniform spacing of the rows of stitching results.

The brim guide 5 is adjustably mounted by brackets 9 and 16 on thesupport member which forms a rearward extension of the arm 11. Onemounting bracket 9 is horizontally adjustable on member 10 in thedirection of machine feed by means of screw 20 eXtendin-g through slotsin the member 10. A second mounting bracket 16 is secured to the bracket9 by a screw 23 which is vertically adjustable in a slot in bracket 9.The brim guide 5 is secured to bracket 16 in any conventional mattersuch as by brazing or silver soldering at 24. Thus the brim guide 5 maybe adjusted with respect to the table so that its legs are horizontallydisposed and properly positioned with respect to the table and the feeddog of the machine.

To operate this device the operator places the unit upon a sewingmachine table in proper relationship to the feed dog (not shown) and theneedle of the sewing machine. A hat brim is placed through guide 5 andaround roller 4. The hat brim is rotated by the feeding action of thefeed dog (not shown). No power is transmitted by the feed roll 4. Itrotates passively as the hat brim passes around its surface. The purposeof the feed roll is to control the angle at which the hat brim entersthe brim guide 5. The feed roll must be adjusted so that the brim isurged to the right within brim Aguide 5, as seen in FIGURES 2 and 3,continually in full contact with the upper and lower legs of the brimguide 5. The lead screw 2 turns in a direction whereby the hat brim isfed toward the speed reducer 1.

The spacing of successive rows of the stitching for any selected speedof sewing machine operation is controlled by adjusting the speedreducer. Wider spacing is obtained by increasing the speed of lead screw2 by adjusting the variable speed reducer while closer spacing isobtained by decreasing this speed. After spacing of the stitching isselected the sewing needle iswthreaded. With nut A 13. i n drivingengageme'nt with lead screw 2 and the hat'brim held in the desiredposition by the brim guide, switch 31 is closed. The sewing machine willstart sewing. After the brim has made one complete turn the operatorcloses switch 32 which will start the speed reducer. No,fur ther manualoperation is necessary-When the drive arm 11 feeds .totheflpre-selected. position 1(whiclrcanl be varied by the adjustable,mount 29) microswitch 328 trips,:'.thereby stopping both the sewingmachine and the speedreducer. After opening switches A'31 and 32, the'4toggle 12 may be actuated to disengage nut 13 fromidrive screw 2 topermit the guide 5 and roller 4 on arm 11.to be repositioned for asuccessive sewing operation. Repositioning of arm 11 releases thetripped microswitch 28.

Iclaim:

1. A unitary attachment for guiding spiral stitching of a hat brim on asewin-g machine comprisingfi (a) a base adapted to be secured to asewing machine,

(b) drive means mounted on said base and including a support structureprogressively movable relative to said base by operation of the drivemeans and in a direction transverse to the direction of stitching o themachine, x

(c) a brim guide secured to said support structurean having a portionengageable with the edge of a hat brim on the side thereof in thedirection of said progressive movement of the structure relative torsaid base to variably position the brim in accordance with suchmovement,

(d) a roller carried by said support structure and havingI a freelyexposed surface portion facing away from said guide, said roller havingan aXis of rotation which remains fiXed with respect to said supportstructure during a spiral stitching operation,isaid axis beingsubstantially spaced from the brim engaging portion of the brim guideand so oriented as to generally converge with the path of movement Ofthe brim guide in the direction of its progressive movement, saidsurface portion being positioned to provide rolling engagement withsuccessive portions of the brim as they move therearound directly to thepoint of stitching and to urge the brim against the guide in thedirection of said progressive movement during a spiral stitchingoperation,

(e) speed control means included in lsaid drive means for adjusting therate of movement of said support structure relative to the stitchingrate of the sewing machine to permit substantially uniform Spacing ofthe spiral stitching on a wide range of brim sizes.

2. The attachment'as set forth in claim 1 Wherein said brim guidecomprises fiat legs arranged to be engageable, respectively, Withopposite faces of the brim with a junction of said legs arranged to 'beengageable with the edge of the brim, said guide further including anextension projecting from said junction in the direction ofstitching toengage the edge of Vthe brim laterally adjacent the presser foot of thesewin g machine.

3. The attachment as `set forth in claim 1 including universal clampingmeans for adjusting the'angle'of said roller relative to said brim guideand to table'of the sewing machine. i

4. The attachment as set forth in claim 1 'Wherein said brim guidecomprises a U-shaped member,l the lefgsl'ofsaid member beinghorizontally disposed 'parallel toithe sewing machine table. p i

s. The attachment as set form in 'claim 4 iiimdin'g means foradjustablyinounting the. roller on said ,support structure comprising: wp a (a) a universal clamp adjustably secured to said support structure;andlv i i I (b) an adjusting pin passing within the clan ap and havingmeans for mountingsaid roller thereon.f

6. The attachment as set forth in claim 4 Wherein said speed controlmeans comprises:

(a) a lead screW-housing',

(b) a lead screw mounted in said housing;

(c) a yoke member having internal threads, said yoke adapted to bemeshed with said lead screw and connected to said drive member; and

(d) a variable speed reducer driving said lead screW.

7. The attachmcnt as set forth in claim 6 wherein said support structurecomprses:

an arm, one end of which is mounted on said yoke, the

other end adjustably mounting said roller and a support member, saidsupport member extending from said arm and including means foradjustably mounting said brim guide in a position parallel to the sewingmachine table.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Davis 112-2 Weiss 112--2 Denemark112-2 X English 112-2 Shutzer 112-153 X Ogden 112-2 HERBERT F. ROSS,Primary Examiner.

